Bearing cages, also referred to as retainers or separators, are used in many bearing assemblies for separating, maintaining symmetrical circumferential spacing, and guiding rollers. Bearings used in aerospace applications require very durable, strong cages to withstand extreme operating conditions, such as high temperatures and fast rotating speeds. The cage must also be lightweight because weight is a critical design consideration in aerospace applications. Some known bearing cages for aerospace applications are segmented or joined types, however these types of cages require increased space compared to single-piece cages. Other bearing cages include complex interlocking or segmented halves, which are complicated to produce and assemble, as well as being too unreliable for an aerospace application.
It would be desirable to provide an improved bearing cage that is both simple to produce and assemble, as well as being durable and lightweight.